A TRAMP IN THE CATSKILLS 



91 



steers. They came up to me and begged for salt, 

 and scared the fish by their importunities. 



We finished our bread that morning, and ate every 

 fish we could catch, and about ten o'clock prepared 

 to leave the lake. The weather had been admirable, 

 and the lake was a gem, and I would gladly have spent 

 a week in the neighborhood; but the question of sup- 

 plies was a serious one, and would brook no delay. 



When we reached, on our return, the point where 

 we had crossed the line of marked trees the day be- 

 fore, the question arose whether we should still trust 

 ourselves to this line, or follow our own trail back to 

 the spring and the battlement of rocks on the top of 

 the mountain, and thence to the rock where the guide 

 had left us. We decided in favor of the former course. 

 After a march of three quarters of an hour the blazed 

 trees ceased, and we concluded we were near the point 

 at which we had parted with the guide. So we built 

 a fire, laid down our loads, and cast about on all sides 

 for some clew as to our exact locality. Nearly an hour 

 was consumed in this manner and without any result. 

 I came upon a brood of young grouse, which diverted 

 me for a moment. The old one blustered about at a 



m 



furious rate, trying to draw all attention to herself, 

 while the young ones, which were unable to fly, hid 

 themselves. She whined like a dog in great distress, 

 and dragged herself along apparently with the great- 

 est difficulty. As I pursued her, she ran very nimbly, 

 and presently flew a few yards. Then, as I went on, 

 she flew farther and farther each time, till at last she 

 got up, and went humming through the woods as if 

 she had no interest in them. I went back and caught 

 one of the young, which had simply squatted close to 



